BEIJING, July 30 — China's Xiaomi launched a sport utility vehicle (SUV) series dubbed SkyNomad today, expanding its electric vehicle (EV) lineup into the large-family SUV segment, as it seeks to boost sales in the country's ultra-competitive auto market ahead of a planned European launch next year.
With the SkyNomad, it hopes to boost vehicle deliveries after first-half EV sales reached only about one-third of its annual target, amid softening consumer demand in the world's largest car market and a sluggish economy.
Xiaomi, which also makes smartphones and home appliances, has positioned SkyNomad as an "intelligent, reconfigurable, large-space SUV", contrasting it with the SU7 sedan and YU7 SUV series that focus on driving dynamics.
For Xiaomi, whose EV business has become an increasingly important source of revenue over the last two years, SkyNomad represents a push into China's family SUV market.
Gasoline engine helps extend range
The flagship N90 Max, a seven-seat SUV that Xiaomi describes as "a house you can move", combines a 76-kilowatt-hour battery with a 1.5-litre turbocharged range extender and a 60-litre fuel tank.
Extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, are driven primarily by electric motors and use a gasoline engine as an onboard generator to recharge the battery or sustain electricity supply when needed.
"Six seats are not enough for families ... If we compare a vehicle to a house, we can freely arrange our space and decorate," Xiaomi chief executive officer Lei Jun said during the launch event.
Xiaomi added that the N90 Max, priced at CN¥299,900 (RM181,243.97), has a combined range of up to 1,705km.
The SkyNomad line is built on Xiaomi's new Kunlun architecture, which the company says was developed specifically for larger SUVs with adaptable cabins.
Lei noted that Xiaomi will take pre-orders starting today and bring the vehicles to market in September.
